Role of youths for sustainable food systems in a post COVID world

 

Very few might had thought COVID-19 which engendered Wuhan city of china would dismantle the whole world in a worst way like this. At the scenario where supreme powers being concerned in strengthening the military forces and making decent economic progress, while some climate activists voicing upon radical steps to be taken for combating climate related issues, it was the tiny corona virus that proliferated too rapidly eventually taking the form of global pandemic and subsequently paralyzing the whole world. Curfews, quarantines, and similar restrictions (lockdown, shutdown) of various degrees were imposed in the areas hit by the pandemic and the areas prone to pandemic. Nepal also took an early measure initially ordering 7 days lockdown since march 24 and is subsequently extended in various forms till now.

These measures have surely helped in limiting the health crisis, but in a broader sense assessment of overall impact it have laid in socio economic aspect of human life is far more worrying. Shutdown of industrial and agricultural operations has created economic misery for the poor with massive job losses and rising food insecurity. As the world presently is going through unprecedented and baneful times, this pandemic has upended societies and dramatically altered everyday life across the globe .We have been shattered by the short term implications it has brought up in our daily life, it’s long term effects on several aspects including food sustainability would be further woeful and are surely gonna be difficult and bugging while coping with it. Food sustainability was itself an alarming issue in the past, calls regarding sustainable food system always have been occupying focal position. As the time is lapsing, we are marching towards post COVID era and we all should be aware that the aspects surrounding food sustainability will never be the same in the aftermath of crisis. Measures, plans and policies previously presented to maintain food sustainability might should be amended and some new measures should be surfaced out to achieve the goal of food sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges for food systems worldwide - but also enormous opportunities. It is a wakeup call that has highlighted the need for holistic approaches to both address the shock brought by the pandemic, but also to address the vulnerabilities of our unsustainable food systems. To build sustainable food systems we will need more coordinated, more integrated measures – a food systems approach and youths should be at the very center of it. Youths being the building blocks of nation are huge asset to the country and do play a huge role in every changes societies go through. The importance and responsibility of youth towards human world remains uninclined but in a different perspective.  COVID 19 will surely leave a huge vacuum to fill in a field of food sustainability and youths will be in the very center in filling the gap. Sustainable food isn’t only about the food itself it’s a combination of factors including it’s production, distribution, packaging and consumptions. The global food systems needs to be reshaped to be more productive, more inclusive of poor and marginalized populations, environmentally sustainable and resilient and able to deliver healthy and nutritious food to all.  

 

   Fig; parameters of sustainable food system

 This crisis will damage the nutritional status of vulnerable group through multiple mechanisms.  Socio-economic life of people has been paused which has eventually triggered various social impacts on the livelihoods of marginalized, and disadvantageous groups, the various level of restrictions will surely cause untold misery for informal workers  and poor who lead precarious lives facing hunger and malnutrition. This pandemic has severely affected the supply chains making it fragile. A breakdown in any part of supply chains- from farmers to traders, transporters and processors to retailers can break the whole chain. It should be noted that 2-3 million deaths during Bengal famine were due to food supply disruptions not a lack of food. To make the problem far more worse east Africa and Indian sub continent has been hit by the worst locust attack .So, food security and nutrition should be delivered for all in such a way that economic, social and environmental bases are not compromised.  Agriculture in most of the underdeveloped countries is lagging. Illiterates, marginalized and elderly citizens are engaged in agriculture. Literate group of people barely perform agricultural operations because of the prevailing negative social attitudes towards it. Youth who should have been in the frontline to fight for food security are stuck on their way by several barriers on agricultural production, income generation etc. youths of such underdeveloped countries have been compelled to depart for foreign employment thus  creating labor shortage  which eventually leads to agricultural land being left barren. If cultivated though agriculture is mostly subsistence. The rural farmers are not in reach with the modern farming techniques and value addition technology. In some areas in the name of modern farming the farmers are haphazardly using agriculture chemicals, thus creating environmental havoc with sole aim of increasing agricultural production. In majority of such cases farmers are not rationally rewarded on an economic perspective.  In addition youth’s ability to attain food security through production on land is reduced by lack of availability of agricultural land, agricultural technologies and modern farming techniques and also due to youth unfriendly and unattractive policies.

Youths being aware of environment conservation and other various aspects, should be the frontliner  to achieve the collective goal of  food sustainability. This pandemic has demanded us to grow more , healthy and in an environmentally friendly manner. No doubt largely due to the spread of information and communication technologies(ICTs), today’s youth do have higher expectations and responsibilities to ensure food sustainability in the days to come as they do have clearer vision  of what they are capable of accomplishing. Healthy ,educated , productive  and fully engaged young people can surely help  bringing food sustainability  thus breaking the cycle of inter generational poverty and are more resilient in the face of individual and societal challenges.  To sum up , Every year august 12 goes by , with the immense call of youth involvement for the  betterment of human world , but this year august 12 has left us youth with different message and has demanded our fullest effort to ensure food sustainability which is sure to suffer setback aftermath this disastrous pandemic.